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Archive for the ‘Information Age’

Blogging For A Better World

August 30, 2009 By: TopsyTechie Category: Information Age, New Bloggers, Twitter, blog writing, blogging, blogging community, learning to blog, networking, nonprofit blog, social networks, starting a blog No Comments →

One of the coolest aspects of blogging is the creativity it inspires. 

The shift toward Web 2.0 has made each person with computer access an active participant in this changing world.  We have things to say.  We have opinions and ideas on how things are, and how they ought to be.  And we have the ability to network with other people who share our same worldview.

WWWThis immediacy can be the perfect birthplace for incredible inspiration! 

For instance, a blogger who is passionate about local food may start a blog about his favorite farmer’s markets and tailgate markets.  Another local foodie may be blogging about the best restaurants in the region.  And yet another blogger is busy posting all the great family-owned businesses in the area.  These bloggers, who will probably quickly happen upon each others blogs, and begin networking, may soon come upon the idea of helping local farmers link up with local restaurants and markets in order to distribute the freshest foods at the most reasonable prices.  It is a win/win situation for everyone – - thanks to some forward-thinking bloggers!

Other examples of this type of positive blogging include the SochiReporter project.  Sochi, Russia is slated to host the Winter Olympics in 2014.  In preparation for this event,  a seminar was created for some of the top journalism and IT students from local universities.  The focus of the seminar was helping these young men and women, many of whom had never blogged before, to cover all different aspects of the preparation that goes into readying a city for the Olympic stage.  The students will be reporting on the changes in their city from their own unique perspectives.  It is likely to be a one-of-a-kind project with fascinating results!

Then you may have also heard the story of a missing teenager from Denver, who was reconnected with her family this past April thanks largely to the efforts of bloggers and twitterers.  Notifications of the Amber Alert connected with the teen went out far and wide across the World Wide Web to help locate the missing girl. 

These are all just examples of how blogging can draw people together for a common cause.  If you have been thinking of blogging as a solitary activity taking place in one room from one computer, and going out to the faceless abyss, it is time to reconsider!  Every person sitting behind that keyboard and screen is interwoven in a complicated and beguiling mesh of thoughts, ideas, and potential for positive change.

Wouldn’t you like to become part of something like that??

Until Next Time,

A Little Blog Told Me

June 13, 2008 By: TopsyTechie Category: Information Age, New Bloggers, blog marketing, blog writing, blogging for money, business blogging, learning to blog No Comments →

So we are smack dab in the middle of the information age.  Some might say that we are drowning in information.  No one company, organization, or individual has control over how information is dispersed…we are living in an information free-for-all.  So why not get in on it??

Blogs provide an easy outlet for content creation.  You have something to say?  Say it in a blog.  Do you have access to interesting data or information on a specific subject?  Why not blog about it?  Have a business that you would like to promote?  A blog is a cost-effective way to advertise, and also to share your vision with your current and future customers.  What about personal updates?  Families are finding blogs to be the perfect venue for keeping friends and family abreast of all that is going on in their lives.  It is also a great way to share pics and videos.

If you use the internet on a regular basis, chances are you are getting at least some portion of your information from a blog.  Interestingly, sometimes blogs are even the preferred medium for info.  Whereas the monopoly of daily newspapers gave way to up-to-the-minute news web sites years ago, even those have had to take a backseat to immediate news from the front lines – - bloggers who see the stories up close and tell about them first hand.  Company marketers and advertisers have lost their influence compared to multiple product review bloggers who can make or break a new mp3 player or a new restaurant in town.  These user-based reviews tend to have much more impact on the consumer than the biased descriptions written by distributors.  And blogging can have an incredible impact.  Grass root movements have been known to blossom overnight after one well-written blog post.

Now is the time to be part of the information age in a real way.  Bloggers have the opportunity to express themselves, to promote themselves or their causes, and to deliver information like never before.  We all want to be heard.  We want to matter.  And starting a blog is such a simple way to get in on the action.  If you are new to the world of blogging, you would probably want to take our free introductory blogging course, Get Ready To Blog.  Once you understand what blogging is all about, it is time to build your blog, and grow your readership.  Our subscription based course, Blogging 101 is designed to help you write a blog that others will want to read.

There is no better time to get in on the blogging revolution!  Sign up today!

Until next time,